HF 602 Summary

• Requires high school students beginning 9th grade in 2020-2021 or later to complete a course in government and citizenship in either 11th or 12th grade as part of the 3.5 social studies credits needed for graduation.

• Adds "civic life" as a new definition in education statutes, meaning the public life of citizens concerning community and nation affairs, and includes it as a performance measure for school districts.

• Defines student understanding of "civic life" to include activities such as community problem solving, volunteering, voting, political speech, contacting public officials, and writing positions on matters of public interest.

• Requires schools to report the percentage of students who graduated and correctly answered at least 30 of 50 civics test questions as part of school performance data.

• Makes all changes effective for the 2020-2021 school year and later, with school performance reporting effective immediately upon enactment.